Deliver promise of new country in 100 days, with best practices in project management!

Tuesday, 13 January 2015 00:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Morning has broken with bright yellow sunshine warmly welcoming the new future of Sri Lanka. Hopes of a country with no ethnic divide have inspired the whole nation. I looked around to see people walking through the beautiful garden which has been recently developed to world-class standards. Despite all the beautification and infrastructural development activities carried out by the previous Government, today people have voted for the promises made for good governance. A country free of corruption with an ethical code of conduct, the reinforcement of law and order, a new political system, unity among people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, reduced cost of living and reasonable increases in salaries and many more positive changes, all to be introduced within a short time period of 100 days. As a project manager, I see the 100-day work program as a challenging and strategically important project that will deliver positive results for generations to come if we take every step positively and with the right attitude. With the limited space I have here I would like to briefly share how to use project management practices, tools and techniques to achieve guaranteed success. Significance of my views Every little thing has a long story behind it. I grew up in a small village, completed my primary education at Korathota Sri Somananda Maha Vidhyalaya until I got through my Year 5 Scholarship Exam and entered Colombo’s Visakha Vidyalaya. I was lucky enough to pursue my higher education in Australia and gain my highest qualification, a Doctorate in Business Administration while working at Ericsson Australia as a Global Project Manager. For my contribution to project management I have been recognised by the PMI Project Management Institute in the US as one of the 25 most influential women in project management in 2007. After completing my doctoral research project on Project Management and Innovation Strategies, I arrived in Sri Lanka, in 2004, with only one aim: to inspire and advance project management in my country by establishing a PMI USA Charter in Colombo and serving as the Founder CEO. Over the years I have trained, mentored and coached more than 5000 project management enthusiasts and have made a significant contribution to my country’s development. However, it is distressing to still see that our projects are not achieving their objectives. This article is written to help all project managers and to make at least a little contribution to the success of the 100-day work program the Government is keen to make a success. What makes project a success? Project management global standards organisation PMI USA defines projects as unique, temporary endeavours that create a product, service or result. The 100-day work program planned for the new country is a project by definition as it is unique and temporary. Unique means that it is something that has never been done before and temporary means it is constrained by a timeframe, having a start date and end date. Recognising any effort as a project is the first step required in introducing a project-based management approach. By applying project management best practices, tools and techniques, the 100-day work program will benefit with better planning, smooth execution, effective monitoring and controlling, and at the end, delivering successful outcomes linked to the purpose - a new country in 100 days. How to make the 100-day plan a success The proposed strategies listed here are easily executable and practically proven in my life as a project manager, in delivering the expected outcome of any complex project. These simple and effective strategies are also aligned with the world’s best practices in project management introduced by US- and UK-based project management global standards. I also assume that some of the activities might have already been done, as I have not been through the process of planning.

Define the scope of the 100-day work program in detail, clearly specify the goals and objectives of the project and document the complete scope of the work. If this has already been done, the next step would be breaking it down into details. When the requirements are well understood, the scope of the work must be broken down into detail with a WBS (work breakdown structure), a simple tool/ process used in project management which provides the basis for all other planning. WBS must include all the work required to complete the project successfully. Divide Time into effort-driven tasks and allocate resources and costs for all the tasks: 100-day plan is duration-based. Turn it into an effort-driven plan without changing the end date. Allocate resources to task and plan the effort or number of work hours required for the allocated person to complete the task. Allocate costs for each task based on the required resources. The purpose of this exercise is to plan time, cost and resources accurately as detailed planning helps smooth execution and completeness of the work. Make quality the top priority in meeting requirements. Project success is ultimately about meeting the requirement. Set matrices to measure the quality, take feedback and continuously improve.

It is the people who make the difference. Find the right people and clearly define their roles and responsibilities. Committees require good leadership and a leader must inspire teamwork. Collated teams or virtually connected teams can be used based on the requirements. Facilitate effective project integration: Leaders should have the skills for integration, to manage the project as a whole and deliver all the promises. When the 100-day plan was drafted, a number of assumptions might have been made. The success of the project depends on the assumptions made and the risks identified and managed. Conduct a risk analysis for the implementation of the project and document all the risks that can impact the project with the actions taken to ensure the identified risks are avoided, mitigated, or other necessary actions have been taken. At the same time, look out for new opportunities and strengths to ensure smooth project delivery. Communication takes 90% of project time and can make or break a project. Identify stakeholder communication requirements and manage stakeholder communication and engagement. Handle any deviation carefully with the reasons for deviation and move forward with commitment and consensus. These strategies are effective in planning and managing any complex project. Apply the techniques to every project you manage and measure its effectiveness. Success is guaranteed when the strategies are tailored to the requirements of the specific project. Monitoring success and delivering results The project success has to be measured and monitored as an ongoing process. Due to the short timeframe and the strategic importance of the 100-day work program, daily reporting and monitoring has to be carried out at all levels. Since transparency is key to good governance, open and regular communication with stakeholders will lead the project towards its expected outcomes and deliver the purpose. Celebrating small milestones, keeping the public informed about progress achieved will build the confidence of the citizens. The right leadership, team spirit and shared vision will add additional value to the success of this historical project. A new country in 100 days! Let’s make that dream come true with the best practices in project management. (This article is written By Dr. Madhu Fernando, PMP (USA), DBA (Australia), MEng.(Australia) Globally renowned project management expert and trainer, who has been recognised by PMI USA as one of the world’s 25 most influential women in project management. After leaving her project management role at Ericsson Australia and returning home in 2002, Dr. Madhu Fernando worked as a lecturer and a course director for project management degree and postgraduate degree programs in local and foreign universities, and Chairman of Global Institute of Project Management – Project Management Campus and the CEO of 10 year old Sri Lankan-based project management consultancy Innova Strategies Ltd. Dr. Madhu can be contacted via +94 714 447 447 or madhu.fernando@innovastrategies.com)

Deliver promise of new country in 100 days, with best practices in project management!

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